Passed by this remarkable Art Deco edifice in Chinatown, on the corner of Lafayette and Howard, the other day. Never noticed it before for some reason. It looks like one of those sprawling, low-slung, lovely, 1930s filling stations you can still find in some small towns. The sign above the roller-shuttered door says its the home of an office of the General Services Administration, a "New York Interagency." A little research discovers that the GSA services Federal Government vehicles.
A look on Google maps shows the walls were recently covered with graffiti. So they're recently been cleaned. The building is apparently an annex to a bigger warehouse on Centre Street. Still, it doesn't seem like it's ever used.
Regardless, the architecture is quite beautiful and an unusual contribution to the Manhattan cityscape.
Love that building!
ReplyDeleteScouting NY did a piece on it a while ago:
http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=1973
Some interesting info in the comments, too.
Yes! That building is near my acupuncturist and I took a simple street art shot there recently. It's so strange and random in an awesome way. http://www.apagog.com/index.php?id=211
ReplyDeleteGreat minds stumble on things alike, I guess.
ReplyDeletemy girlfriend and I passed this two weeks ago. She said you better shoot that before someone else does! It does just jump out at you, I've been down this section of Lafayette a million times...maybe it's stands out more now that the luxury blitz is in full affect around here, an area I call SoChiTown. Rich Europeans between Soho and Chinatown.
ReplyDelete